Here’s how it works: Survivors submit a search request using their loved one’s name and other personal information. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners then asks participating companies to check their records. If there’s a match, the company will ask for a death certificate plus any proof that confirms the identities of the estate’s beneficiaries.

So far in Massachusetts, the connector has matched 342 residents with $4.1 million in lost benefits. Nationally, it’s helped 24,934 people find $368 million.